I find myself apologizing again for the sporadic nature of my postings as of late. It is by no means due to a lack of interest or topics on my part. Over the past few weeks I have been fighting an infection and some pain. For anyone that knows me, I have been granted the opportunity to trust in the Lord with reference to my teeth. While it may not seem to be true, the dentists I have gone to have all said that the great majority of my teeth, along with the health of my gums and mouth is excellent. However, about five years ago it seems that I had a problem brewing with some wisdom teeth that shifted and killed two of my back molars on the left side of my jaw. Obviously I had both those wisdom teeth and those two back left molars removed. O boy was that exciting.
Then, without any real known cause, my upper right jaw started having problems. For several months my dentist watched this. Finally, she suggested that I have my top right wisdom tooth pulled, as she believed this might be causing my pain. After recovery, the pain was still there. Then, last February, I was told that my second molar on the right top needed a filling (I had no real pain in that tooth). After the filling, the tooth was continually sore. The dentist again watched it for several months and then in July 06 said it needed a root canal. So, I had a root canal. Yet, after the root canal (which is supposed to remove all feeling from the tooth) I still had the pain. I was sent to an Endodontist in September 06 who could see no apparent reason why I should be having the pain. I went back for a follow up a month later, again, without any answers. I was to set an appointment for six months out so that the Endodontist might see via xray what was going on. I had a February 27 appoint.
During the last week of January, my tooth developed an abscess and so I called to see the Endodonist earlier (February 6). At this meeting he said that something needed to be done, either a redone root canal or what is called an apicoectomy (a procedure where an oral surgeon cuts back the gums, looks at the tooth from the side and amputates the tops of the roots or I could simple remove the tooth (but then I would have other issues to address). The endodonist suggested the apicoectomy via an oral surgeon. In the meantime, I was put on antibiotics due to the infection that had been taken place (and running me down).
I saw the oral surgeon and without hesitation, upon seeing the condition of the tooth, said I had only two options, the apicoectomy or removal. He said that the infection had progressed along enough that the surgery only had a 60% chance of success. The alternative is simply to pull the tooth and move to a bridge or dental implant (either of which are far more costly - not that an apicoectomy is cheep). After consulting with my wife and prayer with the Lord, we determined it was worth the risk to try the apicoectomy.
But to make matters worse, I have one last wisdom tooth on my bottom right jaw that was not yet pulled due to the fact that it is about 95% embedded in my jaw bone and my other two dentists said it should not be removed unless it does something to threaten the health of my teeth. Yes, in the last year since it was last looked at, it is beginning to have a problem that threatens my bottom right molar along with the nerves that run along the bottom jaw. The oral surgeon said that it must be removed within a few months lest I risk more complications (complications - that's all I have known for the past five years).
So now, after trying to manage the pain of the upper tooth for the past couple of months, especially in the past few weeks, something that has taken the wind out of my sails as of late, I intend to take care of these two issues in one fell swoop. It will be more painful and take a little more time to recover, but in the long run, I won't have two recovers, one for the apicoectomy and one for the near completely impacted wisdom tooth. The surgery is scheduled for this coming Tuesday (my son's 15th birthday).
How is this for an excuse not to keep up with my blog?
I would appreciate any prayers - that if the Lord wills, the apicoectomy will work and I will recover quickly. If it does not, then I will have to take the dental implant root [I must mean route] (along with an second mortgage). In the meantime, I am on my second round of antibiotics, trying to keep the infection in check.
And one side note, my wife had me look at her tooth that she had root canaled in June (just a couple weeks before mine) and she has an abscess over her tooth. What are the chances of two failed root canals? We now have to start the process of seeing what can be done for her. (She never lets me have a problem by myself - ha!)
Anyway, that's my life and my excuse as of late. I will keep you posted. For now, its time to great my mind focused on the Lord and preaching!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ed
Then, without any real known cause, my upper right jaw started having problems. For several months my dentist watched this. Finally, she suggested that I have my top right wisdom tooth pulled, as she believed this might be causing my pain. After recovery, the pain was still there. Then, last February, I was told that my second molar on the right top needed a filling (I had no real pain in that tooth). After the filling, the tooth was continually sore. The dentist again watched it for several months and then in July 06 said it needed a root canal. So, I had a root canal. Yet, after the root canal (which is supposed to remove all feeling from the tooth) I still had the pain. I was sent to an Endodontist in September 06 who could see no apparent reason why I should be having the pain. I went back for a follow up a month later, again, without any answers. I was to set an appointment for six months out so that the Endodontist might see via xray what was going on. I had a February 27 appoint.
During the last week of January, my tooth developed an abscess and so I called to see the Endodonist earlier (February 6). At this meeting he said that something needed to be done, either a redone root canal or what is called an apicoectomy (a procedure where an oral surgeon cuts back the gums, looks at the tooth from the side and amputates the tops of the roots or I could simple remove the tooth (but then I would have other issues to address). The endodonist suggested the apicoectomy via an oral surgeon. In the meantime, I was put on antibiotics due to the infection that had been taken place (and running me down).
I saw the oral surgeon and without hesitation, upon seeing the condition of the tooth, said I had only two options, the apicoectomy or removal. He said that the infection had progressed along enough that the surgery only had a 60% chance of success. The alternative is simply to pull the tooth and move to a bridge or dental implant (either of which are far more costly - not that an apicoectomy is cheep). After consulting with my wife and prayer with the Lord, we determined it was worth the risk to try the apicoectomy.
But to make matters worse, I have one last wisdom tooth on my bottom right jaw that was not yet pulled due to the fact that it is about 95% embedded in my jaw bone and my other two dentists said it should not be removed unless it does something to threaten the health of my teeth. Yes, in the last year since it was last looked at, it is beginning to have a problem that threatens my bottom right molar along with the nerves that run along the bottom jaw. The oral surgeon said that it must be removed within a few months lest I risk more complications (complications - that's all I have known for the past five years).
So now, after trying to manage the pain of the upper tooth for the past couple of months, especially in the past few weeks, something that has taken the wind out of my sails as of late, I intend to take care of these two issues in one fell swoop. It will be more painful and take a little more time to recover, but in the long run, I won't have two recovers, one for the apicoectomy and one for the near completely impacted wisdom tooth. The surgery is scheduled for this coming Tuesday (my son's 15th birthday).
How is this for an excuse not to keep up with my blog?
I would appreciate any prayers - that if the Lord wills, the apicoectomy will work and I will recover quickly. If it does not, then I will have to take the dental implant root [I must mean route] (along with an second mortgage). In the meantime, I am on my second round of antibiotics, trying to keep the infection in check.
And one side note, my wife had me look at her tooth that she had root canaled in June (just a couple weeks before mine) and she has an abscess over her tooth. What are the chances of two failed root canals? We now have to start the process of seeing what can be done for her. (She never lets me have a problem by myself - ha!)
Anyway, that's my life and my excuse as of late. I will keep you posted. For now, its time to great my mind focused on the Lord and preaching!
Soli Deo Gloria,
Pastor Ed
5 comments:
OUCH! I do hope it all goes well for you. Hopefully your next post will be named "Dental Joys"..........
Cheers, Wilm
Nothing like a good exhortation - "consider it all joy...!" God is good and I must learn to glorify Him in all circumstances.
Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.
"Dental Joys" - isn't that a contradiction in terms though?
A contradiction in terms - you might be right there! Ok, maybe "Post-Dental Joys"??
All the best.
Wilm
I am going through a very similar story. Two back right upper molars were recently root canaled. Endodontist went back into one tooth because I was still in pain after first root canal. Well, I'm STILL in pain and now on my fourth round of antibiotics. Looks like I might be headed for apicoectomy. I might just pull the tooth since it is such a mess. Has a crown that was mutilated for the root canal. UGH. Let us know how the apico goes.
Well, since this post, my wife has already had one apical and she goes in a week from Tuesday for a second. I am a bit suspicious, that the three root canals that my wife (she had 2) and I (I had 1) failed all resulting in the apical.
The jury is still out with regard to whether my apical is going to work - for one thing, my jaw is still tingly and numb from the bottom jaw wisdom tooth. I have not fully recovered from that to know how the upper apical tooth is.
All I know is that this is but momentary light affliction. In glory my teeth will be perfect (and more importantly, the rest of me).
Ed
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